researching surgery

I am still in the earliest stages of researching surgery as an option for me. I have talked to my PCP and she says " go ahead". I went to a seminar before that even and I have now even gone to a support group meeting and am going back again on 3/11. But I still have tons of questions and doubts. I want to lose close to 200 pounds ....even then I would be obese by the charts. I know any Dr. I go to will try to steer me towards the RNY. I am completely terrifed of the issues relating to malabsorption further down the line. I know this is one of the biggest long term worries for this surgery. I would like to hear from long term post ops ( like 5 years out or more) and see what you have to say about this issue. I thank you so much for your time. If you do reply to this post please include how long you are out and what type of surgery you did have. Thanks again, Kathy

I'm NOT long post-op (LOL) - only 2 weeks. Just wanted to respond, I questioned my dr. at length about the malabsorption thing in the long run... what about if I ever needed life-saving drugs (chemo or something) - would the malabsorption mess up the effectiveness of it? What about in old age? Elderly folks tend to eat quite a lot less anyway, isn't there a chance of malnutrition in old age? My understanding is that as time passes (years) the body adapts to some degree, and the malabsorption is lessened over time. Drugs are absorbed by the body differently so it doesn't apply. You will definitely have to ask your own questions and seek thorough answers, but wanted to share what I know. Also I wanted to add that there are other options besides RNY. If the malabsorption is your main issue with it, you should definitely check out the Duodenal Switch. There is a DS forum here on the site. Look into it, it sounds like a great option for many people. Marie 295/273/goal 145